The new modular application server
JBoss AS has changed a lot with the latest distribution. The new application server has improved in many areas, including lower memory footprint, lightning fast startup, true classloading isolation (between built-in modules and modules delivered by developers), and excellent management of resources with the addition of domain controllers.
How Infinispan platform fits into this new picture will be illustrated shortly. Should you need to know all the core details of the AS 7 architecture, you might consider looking for a copy of JBoss AS 7 Configuration, Deployment and Administration, which has been authored by Francesco Marchioni and was published in December, 2011.
In a nutshell, JBoss AS 7 is composed of a set of modules that provide the basic server functionalities. The configuration of modules is not spread in a set of single XML files anymore, but it is centralized into a single file. Thus, every configuration file holds a single server configuration. A server configuration can be in turn based on a set of standalone servers or domain servers. The main difference between standalone servers and domain servers encompasses the management area; as a matter of fact, domain-based servers can be managed from a centralized point (the domain controller) while, on the other hand, standalone servers are independent server units, each one managing its own configuration.